Conventional vehicle/automobile seat belts often do not work well in securing child car seats in the seat of the automobile in which the child car seat is to be secured.
The problem of seat belts improperly securing child car seats is found when using "lap belt" type car seat belts, as well as "shoulder harness" type automobile seat belts.
The problem of improper securing of child car seats is especially prevalent when using shoulder harness type seat belts for securing the child car seat, especially as many users find it difficult to or do not understand how to properly secure child car seats in shoulder harness type seat belts.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a PRIOR ART clip 4 for restricting movement of a PRIOR ART child car seat 10 having arm rests 12 and a head rest 14.
Car seat 10 includes a rear 16 through which a left opening 18 and a right opening 22 pass.
A conventional shoulder harness type seat belt 24 is illustrated that is attached to the automobile at the factory. Shoulder harness belt 24 includes an upper piece 26 and a lower piece 28.
In order to secure car seat 10 to the unillustrated automobile, a portion of belt 24 is passed through openings 22 and 18.
PRIOR ART clip 4 includes an upper opening 42 and a lower opening 44. A connector 46 is disposed between upper and lower openings 42, 44, respectively.
Belt 24 is connected to conventional seat buckle 50 having a female portion 52 by use of the conventional male portion 54 which is typically slidably attached to belt 24.
For convenience, lower piece 28 of belt 24 is defined as the portion of belt 24 extending between male clip 54 and a lower fixed mount 60 secured to the automobile. Belt 24 is typically non-slidably secured to mount 60. Upper piece 26 of belt 24 is defined as the remaining portion of belt 24 extending between male clip 54 and an upper fixed mount 64 secured to the car and through which mount 64 belt 24 typically slidably extends for engagement with a conventional retractor mechanism 70.
In use, the PRIOR ART seat 10 is attached to the car by passing upper piece 26 and lower piece 28 of belt 24 through holes 18 and 22, and then clipping male clip 54 to female portion 52 of seat buckle 50. The user then is supposed to shorten the length of lower piece 28 of belt 24 for proper installation by pushing downwardly and rearwardly on seat 10 while pulling upper piece 26 of belt 24 upwardly and to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, for shortening the effective length of lower piece 28 of belt 24.
PRIOR ART clip 4 is provided for maintaining the shortened length of lower belt piece 28 by preventing movement of upper piece 26 and lower piece 28 relative to each other; e.g., by preventing movement of belt 24 relative to male clip 54.
Clip 4 is attached by passing both upper and lower pieces 26 and 28 through upper opening 42, over connector 46, and down through lower opening 44.
Preferably, the user is supposed to place clip 4 as close as practical to male clip 54 so as to ensure that lower belt piece 28 is not lengthened, thereby leading to a loosening of car seat 10, which might lead to the undesirable movement of car seat 10 during use and/or in an accident, whereby a child secured therein is more likely to be injured.
In addition, clip 4 is intended to eliminate relative movement between upper belt piece 26 and lower belt piece 28 so that the forces exerted on car seat 10 during a automobile accident do not lead to relative movement between upper belt piece 26 and lower belt piece 28, thereby allowing the undesirable movement of car seat 10 described immediately above, the possibility of which might not have been readily apparent to a user prior to such a car accident.
Studies have shown, however, that users often do not appreciate the intended use of clip 4, nor the mechanical advantages realized by the proper use thereof, and fail to use the clip at all, or place the clip at a great distance from male clip 54, such as on the outside of right opening 22, for example.
Still further, under certain situations, such as when repeated application and withdrawal of forces on belt 24 is experienced, upper belt piece 26 may move relative to lower belt piece 28, thereby leading to the undesirable lengthening of lower belt piece 28 and, hence, loosening of car seat 10 relative to the automobile to which it is attached.
Additional examples of known child car seats include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,133 to Nakao et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,083 to Shouse, Jr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,094 to Hiramatsu et al.
Examples of known gripping devices include: U.S. Pat. No. 217,251 to Weaver and U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,542 to Verna.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a gripping tool, a child car seat and tool combination, and a method of using a gripping tool for securing a car seat that is easier to use than prior art devices, and which overcomes the drawbacks of the PRIOR ART device.
The terms "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "child car seat" and "gripping tool", and the like are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the term "car seat", "infant seat", and "child carrier", for example, are intended to be synonymous terms, and are not intended to be limiting. "Vehicle", "car", and "automobile" are not intended to be limiting; such terms include airplanes, boats, buses, trains, amusement park rides, and all types of vehicles. Similarly, the terms "shoulder harness type seat belt" and "lap belt type seat belt" are not intended to be limiting.